Honesty
by AddiesDrew
Summary: Both Lisanna and Natsu were keeping secrets. All these hidden emotions and thoughts are about to burst between them and there's no turning back after that. Honesty is the key to recover from their wounds that were gashed over time. A little tale of how the childhood friends overcome their ruined relationship, step by step. *rated M for possible future development
1. Heated thoughts

Oh, Fairy Tail, the only guild that could celebrate their loss. One of the many reasons Lisanna loved that guild so much. "…a party for losing in the first day of the games, huh? Well, couldn't expect for any less." She heard Wakaba talk to Macao. "That's what you get when our members come back, complete and total chaos." They both laughed, like old men who were reminded of their youth days. "That's Fairy Tail for ya'!"

They were always so lively and upbeat, even at the most miserable times, these people, these mages, this family of hers. She sure had missed the chaos that they irrupted each time they had a bottle of sake in their hands. Yet the takeover mage couldn't help but to feel a bit down, seeing how she felt so alone in all of that crowed. Even Mira was occupied talking to the master.

Staring at the cluster of mages, she was filled with a bitter-sweet feeling. Her eyes observed her surrounding with curiosity of an explorer, analyzing new behaviors and body languages. Her gaze was jumping from Cana who was drinking straight from the barrel as usual, to Erza who was talking with Laki, to Laxus who was… well, observing everyone from above. Lastly her eyes fell on two figures. It was- …Natsu and Lucy. Of course it was them.

Natsu and Lucy were sitting together by the bar, drinking sake and recalling their past missions together. "You sure got strong, Lucy!" Natsu praised the celestial mage. "You really amazed me in the battle against that Raven Tail bitch!" He pounded his fist against the wooden deck. "We'll beat those scumbags for sure!" His fists were now burning. Before he could yell that he's all fired up, Lucy laughed and patted his arm. "I'm sure we will. Just don't run around wrecking things here, were not in the guild…" She said as they continued to drink and laugh, until Natsu noticed Lisanna from afar.

All types of painful emotions swarmed into Lisanna's heart, seeing Natsu and Lucy. Looking at them, seeing them together, it made her feel dreadful. Her palm rested on her chest, as if she was trying to prevent her heart from breaking by attempting to hold on to it. She couldn't help those feelings of envy and despair seeing those two together. She just couldn't stomach it. It pained her, to see Lucy with Natsu and not herself. Lisanna felt replaced.

Then she noticed that Natsu was glaring at her from the corner of his eye, his signature smile starting to spread on his lips. Following him, Lucy cocked her head as well to figure out what Natsu was gazing at. Oh no… Is he going to- "Oi, Lisanna, come sit with us!" He shouted from the other side of the room while waving his hand. Sadly enough, Lucy also smiled and waved for her to join.

"_Oh, how can I think these horrible things about her?_" A flashback of her own voice yelled out in her mind as her eyes tried to avert from looking on those two sitting together. Lisanna once broke down from these feelings, ending up yelling and crying in her room after the guilt ate through her. How could she feel so horribly over a person as kind as Lucy? Lisanna always thought that she was a good person, yet these horrid thoughts never left her mind when seeing her with Natsu. 'I should be glad to see Natsu so happy, shouldn't I? I-I can't envy Lucy for being close to him. It's not her fault!' Her mind was pleading as anger was beginning to build up in her system again. She was angry at herself. Angry for letting those emotions take place in her heart.

But it couldn't be helped, Lisanna was jealous. She was jealous and heartbroken.

She then stood up, leaving her glass of sake behind as her feet tapped along the brick floor of the restaurant. 'All I need is just some fresh air… I-I'll be fine.' She thought to herself as she felt the heavy teardrops that formed in her eyes threatening to collapse and roll down her face. Her cheeks were already warm and red from the appalling emotions that were cramped in her heart. She never had anyone to talk about it, about her state. Despite her habit of not speaking her emotions, Lisanna still had the need to talk about to _someone_. But since everyone all loved Lucy so much, she didn't know how it would seem to talk about her jealousy towards the celestial mage. Lisanna always liked Lucy, which only made things harder for her. She felt terrible even talking about it.

"Do you think she noticed that we called her?" Lucy questioned with a disappointed look as she and Natsu glared at Lisanna while she was walking away. "Sorry Luce, I need to see what happened." Natsu quickly stood up and followed the takeover mage's steps. 'I'm pretty sure she saw us. Was she trying to avoid me again…?' He questioned as he began to walk.

Natsu was no fool; ever since Lisanna came back he noticed how she always seemed to vanish whenever he came to the guild. She always had something to do, or suddenly felt ill, or any kind of excuse that can be made to avoid being in the presence of a certain person. She was clever enough to deceive everyone, and almost him, but he noticed the pattern that has developed over time. He never really understood why she did it, yet it still offended him. He didn't like the fact that Lisanna was avoiding him, but he felt selfish to bring it up after all that she went through. He figured that it would fade as time passed, and that he would either care less or that she would come about and stop doing what she did. Neither of those happened, and Natsu's hurt feelings began to pile up.

"Lisanna, is everything alright?" She heard her sister ask as she crossed the restaurant towards the front door. Avoiding looking in Mirajane's eyes, Lisanna nodded as she continued to walk. "F-fine. I-I just need some air." Her voice sounded weak and somewhat broken. Mirajane knew that Lisanna was upset, but thought it'd be better to let her be. Lisanna always knew to come to her Mira-nee when she needed the help.

Palm pushing the cold, big handle down, Lisanna leaned her body to shove the door open. She felt the cold air hit her face in a relieving sensation. She sat on the steps near the entrance, her knees pressing close to her chest, chin leaning on them. Staring blankly at the empty street, everything suddenly became so… Quiet. The loud noises that came from within were somewhat muted, silenced behind the doors of the structure that held them inside. She was suddenly able to think more clearly. That is, until she heard the door slam open behind her with a breeze mixed with hot and cold air at the same time hit her back and hair. "Hey Lisanna where are-" She heard a familiar voice call out from behind her. "Oh, there you are." He said as his feet step closer to her.

"What happened, why did you come out all of a sudden?" The pink haired boy sat by her side. Her gaze still looking down on the street's floor, Lisanna didn't bother to look at him. Hair covering most of her face, it was probably the best way to avoid Natsu from seeing the tears in her eyes. "I-I just needed to breath." She muttered. Her voice was surprisingly light, as if she was not about to break down any second now. She couldn't stay here any longer.

Just when Natsu was about to speak, Lisanna stood up. "Lisanna?" He questioned as his gaze looked up at the takeover mage that towered by his side. He felt confused and anger started to build up in him. Even if she always ran away from him, she never actually brushed him off when he approached her. "I-I think I'll go to my room." He heard her voice say as she turned around, her back facing him now. He quickly stood up as his arm automatically stretched out to grab her shoulder and hold her back. "Hold on." He stated with a low, serious tone. "Don't think that you can keep on avoiding me like that." His hand pulled her shoulder, softly pushing her body to face him. He finally said it, and that was not all he had to say.

"If you think that I didn't notice you suddenly disappearing every time I come to the guild, think again." His hands rested on both of her shoulders. "Look at me, Lisanna, tell me what I did wrong." His voice started to rise as he continued talking, feeling his blood rushing through his veins as he recalled every time he felt like the takeover mage didn't want to be in his presence. "Tell me why is it that every time that you see me you vanish in mid air!" He suddenly noticed he was speaking loudly and pulled back, lowering his tone. "…don't you care about your friends anymore?"

Suddenly the smell of a salty odor floated in Natsu's nose. He cocked his head to look at her; her hair still covered her face but he could see the big tears falling down. Lisanna was… crying? Because of him?


	2. Sister talk

Lisanna's hands rose to wipe the tears that were running from her eyes. "…how could you say that?" She muttered out with a weak voice as the back of her right palm rubbed underneath her eye. Despite his good hearing, Natsu could barely hear her speak. She looked up, her cheeks were red and the tears were not about to come to a halt. Her throat was aching as well as her chest. "**How could you say such a thing?**" She belted out from the bottom of her lungs, it startled Natsu a bit. He wasn't used to hear Lisanna yell from anger. He started to regret what he said, seeing her like that. Looking away, Lisanna felt ashamed for acting up like that, but she was so offended by his last phrase. "…the thing I care about most is my friends, and I never intended on harming them in any way." The tears were flowing on her delicate skin, already running to her neck and chest. She gave up on trying wiping them away at this point.

"Lisanna… I didn't mean to say it that way," Natsu felt guilty, he rushed into conclusions and acted by his emotions rather than logic, again. This time he ended up hurting the last person he ever wanted to hurt – Lisanna. "I know you care about your friends, I do. I just felt like… you forgot about me." He admitted. The only person he could talk freely with like that was Lisanna. Even if they wouldn't talk for years, he would always trust her to talk about the things he could never talk about with anyone else. "I missed you so much after…" He clenched his fist. "…what happened back then." He still couldn't say it directly, as if it was his own fault for not being there and saving her himself. "And now, ever since you came back, nothing is the same as it was." The dragon slayer stated, stepping closer to her. He wiped the tears from her cheeks as she seemed to calm down. "I just want you by my side again, Lisanna."

The takeover mage suddenly felt her heart drop from his words. She looked at him, straight in the eyes. He was sincere. Now, she felt like an idiot for becoming so upset over such a little thing. She never considered that Natsu wanted the same as she did – to be close again. Maybe this would be the best time to just tell him everything that's on her mind? Since he was telling her what was on his, it only seemed fair. And to be honest, Lisanna wanted to tell Natsu about it a long time ago, but she was always so afraid of how he might react. "There was something that I wanted to talk to you about to-" Lisanna tried to say before she was cut off with another slam of the door. A solid "Natsu" was heard as a little blue cat went flying out of the building. "What's wrong, Happy?" Natsu turned around, hiding Lisanna behind his body. He knew that she wouldn't want anyone to see her like that. "Lucy," the exceed exclaimed. "She's drunk again, and we need someone to take her to bed, and since you're her roommate for now…" He raised his paws with a disappointed expression and swayed his head to the side.

"I come out for fifteen minutes and she manages to get drunk? This girl really can't handle her alcohol." Natsu shrugged and turned around to Lisanna. "I'll be right back; the inn is really close to here. You can tell me anything you want then, okay?" He said before swiftly turning away. "Wait for me!" He yelled before the door closed behind him. Lisanna's expression dropped as she sat back on the steps. "…luck." She sighed before resting her forehead on her knees. She felt so relieved, knowing that Natsu wanted to be in her company. Only now, she felt like she is keeping away a secret from him and it'll only become harder to tell it if she keeps it to herself. How could she even tell him that she feels jealous of Lucy, without admitting how she feels about him?

Lucy was not the main reason why Lisanna was avoiding Natsu. She was one of them, but not the biggest. Obviously Lisanna is jealous of Lucy for a reason. Over the two years that she was at Edolas, the takeover mage never grew tired of her love towards Natsu. Not seeing him every day, not being able to talk to him, laugh with him, it only made her love him more. She missed him so much that she didn't understand how much she loved until she parted away from him. She dreamt so many times of telling him exactly how much she loved him, sealing it with a passionate kiss. "And now I can't even tell him how I feel. I'm so lame…"

"No, you're not." Lisanna suddenly heard her sister's voice. "Don't blame yourself for not being able to do what only a few of us can. It's not as easy as it seems to tell someone how you feel." Her voice was soft and comforting as always. Mirajane sat down by her sister's side, sending a gentle palm to pet her back. Lisanna raised her head. "Mira-nee…" The youngest Strauss seemed a bit surprised, but her expression soon changed to the sad aura it had before. "I don't want to feel this way…" She exclaimed, returning her head to rest on her knees. "I don't want to be jealous and sad, I don't want to think bad things about Lucy and-" She paused as if she was about to regret what she was going to say.

"You don't want to be in love." Her sister completed the sentence. "Now that's not true, now is it?" Her forehead rested on Lisanna's shoulder for a moment before she spoke again. "You do want to be in love, you just don't know how to handle all the emotions that come along with it. Not always will you feel joy and gush inside, but many times that you will feel sadness and jealousy, like now." She explained as Lisanna raised her head to look at Mirajane. "Don't say that you don't want to be in love before you have experienced everything about it." She brushed her fingers in her younger sister's hair. "How can I experience everything about love?" Lisanna questioned with a hint of a smile, knowing what answer she will get. Mirajane smiled widely. "That's exactly it, you can't."

A wide smile suddenly spread on Lisanna's lips, even though there were still small tears in her eyes. "You always know what to say, Mira-nee." She muttered softly, her tone becoming much lighter. Mirajane stood up and stepped in front of Lisanna, stretching her arm towards her. "You should go to bed, Lisanna." She stated to her sister as she grabbed her hand to stand up. "I would have suggested for you to come inside, but everyone is already almost passed out." She giggled. "But wouldn't you need help cleaning?" Lisanna glared at her sister. "No, I'll be fine. Besides, master knows better than to leave a public place ruined again with all the debts we have." Mirajane winked. "Could you just tell Natsu that I..?" Blush covered Lisanna's cheeks. "I will." Mirajane answered as she sent her sister to her room.

As Lisanna came inside the inn's room, she couldn't be gladder that she had a room to herself. Since Mirajane was participating in the games, Lisanna had a room for 'Strauss' but stayed alone there. If anything would have happened and Mirajane was no longer in the games, which was highly doubted, she and Lisanna would share this room. Usually she'd be upset for not having company, but this night she needed just that silence. She entered her shower, slowly stripping away her clothes and entering the warm water she turned on. "I'll just take a hot shower…" She hummed as the water slid down her skin, steam quickly spreading all across the bathroom. "And I'll go to bed."

"Oi, Mira…" The dragon slayer called out to the takeover mage as he entered the restaurant, glaring at the ruckus and mayhem that still ruled the late night hours. He looked at the drunk Wakaba and Macao, surprised that they were still able to party until so late. He couldn't smell Lisanna's scent anywhere, but with all the sweat, alcohol and people around there, he could just be confused. "…did you see Lisanna?" He asked. Natsu was eager to finally get to talk with her after such a long time. "She went to her room a few minutes ago." Mirajane smiled as she avoided getting hit by Erza's flying sake bottles. "You can check if she's not sleeping ye- Natsu?" The dragon slayer has already rushed off to find the takeover mage.


	3. Baka!

_"Why do you think Lisanna was avoiding us-no, you. Why do you think she was avoiding you, Natsu…?"_

That sentence echoed in Natsu's mind until he reached the guild. He was running like crazy, searching for the snowy haired girl from his childhood. _'How could I be so stupid?'_ He thought to himself as his feet barely touched the floor as he ran. _'How could everyone notice it except for me?'_

* * *

"You know Natsu…" Happy flew by his friend's side before landing on his shoulder. They were on their way back to the restaurant after they rested Lucy to bed in the inn. "Lisanna seemed really upset with you." The blue cat stated. "Oh, you saw that?" The pink haired mage glanced at the exceed. "Yeah, it was really tense before you came. I didn't expect to see her… crying."

"You made Lisanna cry? Baka!" Happy snapped at the dragon slayer as he went back to flying by his side. "Well I didn't want to do it! I just got mad and… I said some things that…Maybe I shouldn't have." Natsu looked away irately.

"You need to apologize!" Happy announced. "How could you make your wife cry?" He questioned with a low tone. Happy was always sensitive when it came to Lisanna. He felt protective of her, his 'mother'. He still liked to call her that way from time to time, to remind her that she is still important to him as much as before. He knew how Natsu felt about Lisanna drifting away from him ever since she came back; he was there most of the times she vanished suddenly when they came. Yet Happy could see both sides. He knew that Lisanna didn't mean to harm anyone, and so did Natsu. The only difference between him and Natsu was that Happy knew why the youngest Strauss was avoiding Natsu, after Chrale cared to point it out to him.

"She's not my wife." Natsu stated quietly. "…it's been a long time since then." He declared, disappointment clear in his voice.

"Do you think that you are the only one who didn't see her?" Happy asked, his tone beginning to sound angry. "We all missed her in the guild!" He exclaimed, making Natsu recall the dark image of the guild when he entered it the day Lisanna's proclaimed death. "I know… its j-" Natsu tried to speak before Happy interrupted him. "Charle told me not to say this to you, but you're not going to notice it by yourself!" Happy thundered. Natsu glared at him with a confused look before he explained.

* * *

"Oi, Mira…" The dragon slayer called out to the takeover mage as he entered the restaurant, glaring at the ruckus and mayhem that still ruled the late night hours. He looked at the drunk Wakaba and Macao, surprised that they were still able to party until so late. He couldn't smell Lisanna's scent anywhere, but with all the sweat, alcohol and people around there, he could just be confused. "…did you see Lisanna?"

"She went to her room a few minutes ago." Was all Natsu needed to hear before he was sprinting to the guild's inn, which was even closer than the participants' one. All he could think of was how stupidly he was acting earlier that evening. How blindly he could tell Lisanna that she didn't care about him, when he didn't even notice that he was leaving her behind. He didn't pay much attention to the takeover mage ever since she came back. He was so busy with missions he had with his new partner that he didn't seem to make time for his old friend, which he didn't see for two years. And unlike him, Lisanna didn't even get to see the guild like he did, she didn't even get to see her own brother and sister. She was in a different place, with different people, pretending to be someone else. _"And when she came back, all she saw was you and Lucy together all the time. Charle says that it made her unhappy."_ Finally, Natsu realized that **he** made Lisanna unhappy, without even noticing.

As he entered the inn's front door, he started rushing through the halls, trying to figure out where Lisanna's room was. He went to the part that was occupied by Fairy Tail and searched there. He ran across the hall when suddenly a wonderful scent filled his nose. Lavander. One of Natsu's most loved scents, the one that reminded him of Lisanna. He took a big whiff of the smell with a big smile on his lips, tracing which door it came from. When he found that it was the door on his left, his fingers rested on the metal handle before slowly opening it. "Old habits die hard, huh?" He chuckled to himself. After Natsu always entered through her window, Lisanna began to leave her door open for him to enter instead of coming through there. Ever since then, the takeover mage always forgot to lock the door when she entered her room.

Rinsing the soap from her skin, Lisanna suddenly heard the door to her room open. She quickly grabbed a towel to cover herself and ran out of the shower. "Who is there?" She shouted as she held the towel that was hanging from her chest and wrapped around her waist. "It's just me, Natsu." The pink haired boy quaked as she entered the room. This was not what he had been expecting to see when he first came. Blush covered his face as he cocked his head to the side, trying not to look at her. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to barge in," he pointed behind him with his thumb. "The door was open."

Lisanna stared at the dragon slayer for a moment before blush spread on her face. Her thighs shifted uncomfortably. Well, this wasn't an ideal situation was it? She didn't know exactly what to do, but she didn't want to let this be any more awkward than it should. They already had a long night, and Lisanna was too tired of feeling upset with this. She just wanted her old friend back, even if it wasn't that likely to happen. "…again?" She tried to change the topic as her palm hit her forehead. "I'm such an airhead." She giggled awkwardly. "I-I'll be back in a moment," she then stated. "I'll just…" The takeover mage turned away, her wet hair dripping all over her pale shoulders, sending cold drops to her skin and making her shiver. "…change to something else. I'm cold." She began to walk towards the bedroom where her clothes were.

She then felt something grasp her free arm, pulling her back. She turned around but barely got the chance to speak before she was embraced into a tight hug. "Don't." Natsu stated as he pressed Lisanna closer to him, wrapping his arm around her waist. "I'll warm you up." His voice whispered as his nose nuzzled in her neck, taking in her perfect scent.

"N-Natsu…" Lisanna stuttered as she felt his hot skin against hers. It felt wonderful, being in a hug like this with him after such a long time. "…I'm sorry, Lis." His breath hit her skin as he spoke before he raised his head to look at her. "I didn't want to make you unhappy." His gaze was locked onto hers. "I never wanted for us to become so drifted apart. I-I just want for us to be close like we were." Lisanna could feel her heart pound so hard, she might even hear it beat in her ears. Her eyes widened along with a smile as her arms wrapped themselves around his waist. That was her way of telling him that she wanted exactly the same. "I'm sorry too, Natsu." She said as hot tears rolled down her cheeks. Finally, Lisanna heard the words she was eager to hear for such a long time. "I'm glad that you came." She needed to feel him hug her like that again.

The dragon slayer was a bit startled to feel the warm tears that came from Lisanna trickle to his arm as she rested her head on him, so he embraced her even closer. His arms tightened their hold around her waist, closing any gap that could be between them. He didn't really understand how could someone cry from happiness, but Lucy once told him that it was possible, so he figured it was a girl's thing and didn't say anything. He just held her close. It felt nice, that silent hug.

It was like an unofficial way to agree that they were going to rebuild what they lost.


	4. Sunrise

"...I've missed you." Natsu's voice was tender and quiet, as if he was trying to sing a newborn to sleep, yet his grip on her didn't soften. He couldn't let her go; he wanted to keep her close. Her scent finally lingered in his nose, his eyes gazed into her big, blue once, her small body embraced by him; Lisanna was near him at last, after such a long time. The shy giggle she uttered when she couldn't escape his arms, it made him feel warm inside. The dragon slayer missed everything about her, and now he could see it all again. He could know she was safe again. "N-Natsu," he heard her gentle voice, "can you let me… go change?"

"Oh, right!" He snapped out of his daze and the blush spread across his cheeks, only to be responded by another giggle from Lisanna's side. "I'll be right back," she smiled as she turned back to the shower, where she had her clothes folded and ready. Natsu's eyes followed her until she disappeared. He then found his place sitting on the couch that was set on the left side of the room, and resting his legs on the coffee table that stood in front of the said couch.

As Lisanna slipped into her clothes – shorts and her blue sweater, her thoughts went wild. The takeover mage felt so unbelievably happy after feeling his arms embrace around her, that she could almost cry of joy again. She had missed him so much when she was at Edolas, that it hurt just to think that there was a chance that she might not get to see him again. However, that pain can't even compared to the way Natsu makes Lisanna's heart ache… This pain, it's the strongest of them all, yet it's the most addictive one she could ever feel. It was the soreness that could only be caused by the worst and best kind of illness – love.

Stepping out of the bathroom, Lisanna noticed Natsu lying on the couch. She had a little bet with herself that he was sleeping, and indeed she won. "Guess I still know a thing or two about you." She stated with a smile as she rested her palms on her hips, her gaze staring at the motionless, snoring body in front of her. Well, it was late, so she could at least take him to bed. Fingers lightly touching his bare chest, she began taping them across his skin, as if they were a running man. "Natsu…" She softly hummed as her hand trailed to his neck, "wake up." Her fingertips already reached his collar bones and she was not going to stop until he is up on his feet and landing on the bed, since she was not going to lift him up. In response to her actions, Natsu only huffed in content. "Oh, you're enjoying this?" She smirked to herself. "Sadly, I know where you are ticklish~" Her fingers landed softly on a certain spot, right by the dragon slayer's scar and underneath his scarf, and hovered above it with the slightest touch. Suddenly, Natsu's eyes widened and he sat up in a burst of laughter.

"Oi, don't go using dirty tricks on a sleeping man!" He snorted as he rubbed his eye.

"Sorry, you just didn't wake up." She giggled to herself at the sight of how easily he reacted to such a simple act. "It's late, so I wanted to tell you that there's an extra bed here, since Mira-nee isn't sleeping here, if you want." Her thumb pointed behind her, in the direction of the bedroom.

The pink haired mage nodded at her suggestion and stood on his feet, walking towards the door that was just across the door that leads to the bathroom. Lisanna kept sitting on the couch; her gaze followed his steps until he suddenly came to a halt. "Are you coming?" She heard him ask and noticed that he was staring at her and waiting for her to join him. Her cheeks were colored in a slight color of pink at the thought of going into the bedroom with Natsu, but knowing there were two beds, she shook the thought right out of her mind. She jumped on her feet and began walking towards him. "Coming." She hummed in delight.

"Oh, wait!" Lisanna called before Natsu went inside the room, making him glance at her in confusion. She quickly entered before him and closed the door. Natsu stared in puzzlement at the door for a few moments before entering the room. "What was tha—"

"Welcome home!" Lisanna greeted the dragon slayer as he stepped in, a wide smile spread on her face joined with blushed cheeks and a rapidly beating heart.

Natsu smiled, stepping closer to the takeover mage and sitting in front of her. "I'm home." He whispered as he leaned towards her, resting his forehead on hers. He could hear her heartbeat so clearly, it made his own heart beat in the same pace. The dragon slayer closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around Lisanna, which she gladly responded with the same action. Natsu glanced at her with one open eye and a slight grin. "A husband and his wife don't sleep in separate beds." He hummed as his body suddenly leaned to the side, causing the takeover mage to squeal in surprise before they hit the mattress of the bed they were sitting on. Arms still embracing Lisanna, Natsu smiled at her widely. Before she could respond, Lisanna found herself laughing and pressing herself on Natsu even more, nuzzling her nose in his scarf.

[…]

Lisanna heard something loud, making her wake up from her sleep. '…morning already?' She thought as she became aware of her surrounding, suddenly feeling something on her waist. Natsu was still holding onto her in his sleep, and snoring too. Well, that explained why she woke up. Gently moving his arm from her, she stood up and headed to the window, noticing that it was still dark outside. 'How long did we sleep?' she questioned as she leaned out a bit and took in some fresh air from the night's damp atmosphere. By the judging of that, morning was not too long to come, perhaps an hour from that moment or so.

"Oi, Lisanna," Natsu suddenly called, stepping behind her, "what are you doing?"

"I can't sleep, so I decided to watch the sunrise." The takeover mage stated with a smile.

"Well, that didn't change from way back when we were kids, has it?" He teased as his arm rested on her shoulder. "You always liked watching these things."

"What can I say," she sighed, "I like things that bring warmth into my life." Her palm grasped the hand that was hanging from her shoulder.

Natsu blushed and looked away, trying to ignore her comment. "But the sunrise is an hour away; don't you want to at least do something until then?" He questioned.

"Like what?" Her gaze turned to look at his profile.

Natsu thought for a few moments before he suddenly had an idea in mind. "Let's go!" He rushed off, holding Lisanna's hand in his and pulling her with him.

"-Where are we going?" Her voice pleaded for an answer as she followed the dragon slayer out of her room as well as out of the inn itself. The cold breeze of the night's air hit Lisanna's body, sending her chills from head to toe. Natsu didn't bother to answer, but the determination in his eyes told her that it was worth the wait. As they continued their way through the city's streets, Natsu's running slowly turned into a walking pace. Though Lisanna was walking by his side, he still didn't let go of her hand. "We're almost there." He stated with anticipation.

Even though it was such a late hour of the night, soon to be early hour of the day, the flower blooming capital was still somewhat lively, yet not with the crowds of the day. "The kingdom sure takes care of their city's reputation well." Lisanna commented as she gazed at the brightly shining lacrimas that glowed, in every color imaginable, from the walls of the buildings, guiding the path through the street. Above their heads there were strands of thin ropes that were decorated with beautiful flowers that never seemed to stop blooming. It was a delightful view to gaze upon while crossing the capital.

When Lisanna heard the sound of trickling water from the distance, she knew that they were heading to the outskirts of the city. "When we first came here, we got lost and found ourselves wandering around this river before we understood where to head next." Natsu explained as they walked through the tall grass that surrounded the area. Soon they came to the water source and sat by its edges. "I thought this would be the best place to watch the sunrise from, since there are no buildings that can ruin the view." He muttered a bit awkwardly as his hand rubbed the back of his head.

Lisanna's cheeks were flushed red at his words. How did he manage to be so thoughtful? A smile spread her lips apart, flashing her teeth in a vast grin. "This is amazing, Natsu!" She exclaimed happily as her arms wrapped above his shoulders. Just as Natsu rested his hands on her back, the sky started to become lighter. "Huh?" She suddenly heard Him say. "I thought the sunrise was supposed to be for another half an hour…" His voice was confused. She broke away from her embrace on him and gazed at the heavens as they turned from dark blue, into a light hue.

They watched the immense sun rise from the distance, feeling the warm beams slowly spread across the land. Suddenly, Lisanna noticed something change in the view as the sun rose. The green grass was turning… white? The quicker that the yellow orb became dominant in the sky, the closer the white hue had become to the two that were sitting by the river. "…are those?" The takeover mage mumbled as she tried to understand what this odd sesation was. "Flowers." Natsu completed Lisanna's questioning as the wonderful scent of the blooming plants filled his nose. _'Light reacting flowers.'_ He thought to himself with a satisfied smirk on his lips at the sight of Lisanna's amazed expression. The snowy haired mage gazed at Natsu as their surrounding became covered with flowers that matched her hair.

"What can I say," Natsu muttered as his eyes glanced at her, "Just like these flowers, I bloom at things that bring light into my life."


	5. I believe in you!

_**A/N:** _ugh, okay, I know I haven't updated in forever now, and I'm truly sorry. I had a lot of things going on, and I honestly had no idea how to continue after the last chapter, and I rewrote this so many times already! This version was honestly in my mind before the dragons actually appeared, but I thought it'd be a good idea to wait and see what happens in the manga. And hey, apparently it fitted with what I wanted!

Anyway, sorry for the somewhat short chapter, I felt the need to write it from Lisanna's P.O.V, though it has nothing to do with it being short. I think. I hope you'll enjoy~!

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Heavy steps hit the ruins of what seemed to be a badly shaped form of The Flower Blooming Capitol's castle, a cluster of remains lingered behind an intense battle. Pale skin drenched with sweat, Lisanna was rushing through halls in search of one Natsu Dragneel, following a couple of hooded figures that made their way to the battle scene.

_"Promise that you'll stay safe, Natsu?" Lisanna's palm tugged on his wrist. "I liked how everything was this morning… when you were safe and sound." A smile stretched upon the dragon slayer's lips as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder. He truly missed having her worry about him, even if it wasn't necessary. "Don't sweat it, Lisanna, I've got this in my back pocket! Just wait and see!" He chimed. _

When Mirajane had appeared out of the castle along with others earlier, pink locks were missing from Lisanna's vision. Where was he, what happened to him? Hasty questions were answered by her older sister as destruction blasted the streets. The dragons, they were there, they existed, and the strongest dragon slayer was nowhere to be found. What ate Lisanna from the inside, more than the concern about the chaos that was roaming, was the terrifying thought that something could have happened to Natsu. It was not just a concern of her friend, her love, no.

It was the fear of losing hope, losing her faith in victory. Lisanna had all her faith in Natsu, and never such faith would reside... would it? He was the strongest, he was their faith! If something would happen to him… No, nothing would happen to him! She'll find him, she'll find him and everything will be fine.

_"You'll see, by the end of the battle, I won't even need Gajeel around to beat those two!"_

"-Natsu!" Her voice pleaded throughout the empty halls. No use, huh? He wasn't going to hear her like that. Her feet continued to stumble towards the direction she saw the silhouettes disappear in. Nothing was hopeless yet, everyone was ready to battle, and everyone has hope in this— the battle only just begun! She would find Natsu, she'll bring her faith forward. Natsu would lead them along with the rest of the dragon slayers to victory, and she would make sure that he would keep his promise. She liked how things were, and not even dragons could ruin it! Right…?

Tears began to run down her cheeks at the thought of something happening to anyone from the guild. "…Mira-nee, Elf-niichan, please stay safe. Please. I have to find him…" Her voice softly sobbed, her feet almost tripping against the broken walls that were crushed down.

That underground hall seemed to be like a maze, and the exit already felt as if it's nowhere to be found. But that didn't matter; the only thing that was important now was that she needed to find him!

Stumbling into an area that seemed to be written with destruction more so than the others, hooded figures, that were now noted as women, suddenly came to her vision, causing her to halt completely with a sway of her body that almost made her lose balance. A tense nerve was causing her stomach to swirl, as she couldn't tell if she encountered enemies or not, and her jaw clenched as her brows furrowed.

A body lying in the distance was detected, yet it was too dark for her to recognize who it was. It was then, when two women had suddenly faced her, which the takeover mage's muscles tensed into a fighting stance. "…who are you…?" She questioned, swallowing her own fears down her dry throat. The smell of dust and ash filled her nose, sweat trickling down her forehead as her body became unaware of its own weaknesses. "Where's Natsu…?" A frown was written on her face, displeasure and concern at the thought that they might have done something to him.

A brow rose on a dark haired woman's features, Ultear would be her name. Lisanna's guild mark was now visible, due to some tearing in her pants, and it was very familiar to both Crime Sorciere mages. In the midst of their rushed actions and thoughts, this sudden distraction could have ended very differently if it weren't for this unofficial alliance between them. No time was spared by Ultear and Meredy for introductions, and the younger of the two replied to Lisanna with a slight, nervous smile. "You just missed him; he went to fight with everyone. You should hurry back." A slim finger pointed her towards the exit.

"- I-" Lisanna muttered, feeling both relief from knowing that Natsu was alright, and a falling of her heart at the fact that she just missed him. It felt like in those moments, when you miss your train by just a moment, only much worse. Her body began rushing outwards, following where the pink haired woman directed her to. "—thanks…!" She yelled, though a smile never appeared on her lips. There wasn't time for that, not now.

Her legs were aching and running seemed so tiring at those moments, but she had to preserve her magical energy for the battle. She had to be prepared to fight. But most of all, she had to find Natsu, she had to come back to everyone. She felt like an idiot, searching for him while he was already heading out to help everyone. She should've trusted him more, shouldn't she? A loud grunt of frustration left her lips as she shook her head violently.

Light seemed to be reaching in from the distance, and a sigh followed to escape from her lips. Finally! She could return to help everyone; maybe she could see him—

A loud roar has cut her thoughts, causing her to cock her head towards its direction. That sharp howl coming from a dragon in the distance, it felt as if it could shake the ground underneath her feet. It might have did just that, but her following realization caught her off guard, and she was too shocked to notice her surrounding for a few moments.

The snowy haired youth could recognize him from any distance given, and her eyes weren't mistaking her. Natsu, he was… he was riding a dragon! He was riding a flame covered dragon! A wide smile stretched on her lips as relief and joy gilled her heart, tears of excitement running down from her blue orbs.

_"I'm going to beat Sting and Rogue by myself, and you'll be there to see it with your own eyes, Lisanna!"_ Natsu's voice echoed in her mind as she gazed at the outstanding image that was in front of her. _"You'll see how strong I got; you'll see how we're going to bring the guild back to its former state—at the very top!"_

He was never wrong. She could never doubt him, not with a single fiber of her being, would she able to question him. The takeover mage always had faith in Natsu, and just like she had faith that he would beat Sting and Rogue, just like he said that the guild would win the Grand Magic Games—she would believe with all her heart that they will win against all odds they would defeat those dragons. Everyone will be safe again, and there isn't a second thought about it!

_"Just watch me, Lisanna! I'll be looking at the crowed in the end, to make sure that you'll see. That you'll have no doubt that this will end at the best results— us winning!"_

Taking in a great amount of air into her lungs, the takeover mage was prepared to let him know. "Natsu!" She belted with all her might towards the dragon slayer, her throat becoming sore as she hollered his name before continuing her words. If there was anyone in the world, that she was absolutely sure that they could save them, it was him, and she wanted him to know that. He needed to know that she was behind him; she would be there with him with every step he takes, whether he knew it or not.

Tears were streaming down her cheeks, and she knew that further after this, she wouldn't be able to meet him unless fate wanted it, but she'll be keeping her eye on him. She'll always be keeping her eye on him from now on.

**"-I'm watching you!"**


End file.
